Money in Politics

How much money was spent on the 2014 elections compared to potato chips and other important things?

The amount of money spent on politics In America is the topic of endless complaints each election cycle. But the fact is, relatively little is spent on U.S. political campaigns that serve to educate and inform the voting population compared with other major industries.

For example, roughly $3.4 billion was spent in the 2014 midterms, which is about as much as Americans spend annually treating Erectile Dysfunction. We spend over half that amount on potato chips every year, and over twelve-times as much on video games.

When you factor this in with the fact that over 40 percent of the money in political campaigns is flowing from the top 1 % of the 1 % wealthiest donors, it’s easy to see the need for greater participation by more people in our democracy. Luckily at Crowdpac, we’ve made that easy!

So the next time you wish Congress wouldn't be so limp when it comes to addressing our pressing challenges, just remember that it will take spending more on elections than erections.

But how do these powerful industries influence politics? The food industry, for example, has a clear ideological stance. Can you guess what it is?